Ceiling scraper debris collection container

ABSTRACT

A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container is a hand-held and pole extended container used to help guide a ceiling scraper&#39;s knife blade angle and help reduce mess when scraping textured ceilings by providing a temporary storage receptacle with a forward facing molded collection lip that helps collect, funnel and contain falling debris. The collection lip appears to wrap around all sides of an inserted or permanently fixed scraping knife blade and is molded upward, outward and angled from a hole found in the top front portion of the container&#39;s body just in front of the container&#39;s molded handle. A molded tube with a threaded socket projects out from the end of the handle at the same angle as the blade and is used for pole extension connector. The storage body of the container narrows to a pour out spout that has a screw on/of cap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention came about from the need to reduce the mess resulting from scraping off “Popcorn” ceilings as well as get the proper angle when scraping as to not gauge the ceiling. When scraping ceilings it became apparent that there is a best angle suited for scraping in order to reduce gauging to the ceiling drywall and that the process of scraping without any debris collection container that captures and collects falling debris results in an extremely big mess. This invention incorporates what was found to be the most appropriate hand-held and pole extended angle for scraping as well as an outward extended lip design to properly capture and collect falling debris into a collection container when scraping. Because some ceilings are too high to reach for handheld scraping, the invention also includes a threaded socket tube for extension pole use.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container can come in more than one possible form based on the permanency and material of the scraping knife used. One form could include an insertion hole on the back inside wall of the collection lip that extends into the middle of a molded plastic handle to which a user would insert the handle of his or her own scraping knife such as a putty knife, and the two would operate together to scrape and capture falling ceiling debris.

Another possible form could provide a permanent and fixed molded metal scraping blade to include a support handle that extends through the back wall of the collection lip into the middle of the molded plastic handle of the container and project back out the end of the handle in a tubular form with a universally recognized threaded socket for an extension pole.

Another possible form could also provide a permanent and fixed plastic molded blade that is molded to the back inside wall of the back collection lip. In that form, the scraping blade, the collection lip, the body, handle, and the threaded socket tube for an extension pole could all be of the same plastic continues molded form. The scraping blade could be four or more inches in width and the walls of the collection lip would extend at an angle, outward and below in front of the blade, angled and outward on the left and right sides of the scraping blade and outward and behind the back of the scraping blade. The width of the collection area and body of the container is largely determined by the width of the scraping blade. The collection lip extends outward and below the front, left and right sides of the scraping blade approximately 1½ inches and acts to capture, collect and funnel scraped falling ceiling debris into a temporary collection container. The angle of the collection lip as it relates to the blade would serve as a guide to scraping. The top of the container would have a handle for hand-held operation as well as threaded socket tube extended from the back of the handle to be used as a pole extension connector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

A number of embodiments of the invention will now be described with references to the following drawings of which:

FIG. 1 shows one version of a possible form of the Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container and it represents a solid left side angled view without the scraping knife inserted into the holding chamber of the handle and without an attached extension pole;

FIG. 2 shows a left side angled transparent view of FIG. 1 with an inserted spackle or putty knife and an extension pole (represented with thinner drawing lines);

FIG. 3 shows a solid left side view of FIG. 1 as if sitting on the floor;

FIG. 4 shows a solid top view of FIG. 1 as if standing on pour out cap;

FIG. 5 shows a solid front view of FIG. 1 as if sitting on the floor;

FIG. 6 shows a solid back view of FIG. 1 as if sitting on the floor;

FIG. 7 shows a second version of a possible form of the Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container and it represents a transparent angled view with a metal scraping knife permanently embodied within the handle;

FIG. 8 shows a solid left side view of FIG. 7 as if sitting on the floor;

FIG. 9 shows a solid top view of FIG. 7 as if standing on pour out cap;

FIG. 10 shows a solid front view of FIG. 7 as if sitting on the floor;

FIG. 11 shows a solid back view of FIG. 7 as if sitting on the floor;

FIG. 12 shows a third version of a possible form of the Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container and it represents a transparent left side angled view with a plastic molded scraping blade that is permanently attached to the wall of the back side of the collection lip;

FIG. 13 shows what the scraping knife of FIG. 12 would look like if detached from the wall of the back side of the collection lip;

FIG. 14 shows a solid left side view of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 shows a solid front view of FIG. 12 as if sitting on floor;

FIG. 16 shows a transparent side view of FIG. 2 being used on a slightly angled “Popcorn” Ceiling.

FIG. 17 shows a transparent downward tilted view of FIG. 2 being emptied of “Popcorn” ceiling debris into a trash receptacle.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The first version of the Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container will be described with reference to FIG. 1 to 6. The Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container comprises of a container shaped body 1G. At the top front of the body there is a “U” shaped opening representing the collection area where the scraped debris would fall into when scraping. The top of the “U” shape 1A is also the furthermost front edge of the container and has a lip set at the same angle as the rest of the half circle shaped lip 1B that surrounds the opening. The furthermost front edge 1A of the opening is straight and is parallel to an inserted scraping knife's scraping blade edge 2A (represented by thinner drawing lines). When the scraping knife is inserted FIG. 2, it is set at approximately 35 to 40 degree angle to the collection lip 3B if the edge of the lip were viewed horizontally. The collection lip extends outward and underneath the knife's scraping blade edge, outward and underneath the corners of the scraping blade edge, outward and underneath the sides of the inserted scraping knife blade, and then the lip would appear to wrap around the top side of the blade about the half way point of the “U” shape lip 2C. If the opening of the container 4A where viewed at a 180 angle, the front collection lip 4B, 5B would extend out and upward from the opening at less of an angle than the equal angled sides 4C, 5C and 4D, 5D of the lip and the back wall of the collection lip 5E would have the greatest angle of approximately 90 degree from the opening 4A. From the opening 4A, all lip walls 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E would slope up and outward acting as a shoot to the container opening for falling debris. Centered in the middle lower half of the back wall of the collection lip 5E is an oval shaped opening for the insertion of a scraping knife handle. The opening 5A would extend into the middle of the handle 1D approximately 80% of the length (not shown) and would allow most knife handle lengths to fit properly. The circumference of the tube would be wide enough to contain the width of inserted handles of scraping, putty or spackle knives. The walls of the holding tube (not shown) within the handle would be perforated in such a way as to handle different widths and shapes of knife handles to grip and hold them in place. The perforationed walls of the holding tube could be made of the same material as the handle 1D or made of rubber. The exterior of the handle 1D is molded and attached to the back outside wall of the collection lip 1B, 5E and it has a thumb shaped impression 1C on both sides of the handle where it is adjoined. The handle rejoins at the opposite end of the container 1H and also proceeds outward in a tubular form as a threaded socket 1E, 6A pole extension connector. The tube and threaded socket is molded as part of the handle and is of the same plastic. When an extension pole is connected, 2B (represented by thinner drawing lines) 6A, the pole is set as the same angle as the inserted scraping knife 2A. There is a exterior threaded pour out spout (not shown) and screw on/off cap 1F, 6B at the back of the container or opposite end of the containers leading collection lip. The cap 6B is made of plastic and has grip groves on the sides 1F. The lower outside half of back collection lip 1B slopes downward to meet the main body of the container 1K, 1J, 1G. Between the handle 1D and the top of the container is a open space 1I, 3A for fingers to go when griping the handle. The width of the leading collection lip 1A, 4B is approximately 1½ inches longer than each side of an inserted scraping knife blade, so if an 8 inch scraping knife blade were inserted, the width of the lip 1A would be 11 inches in length, with a 10 inch scraping knife blade inserted, the width of the lip 1A would be 13 inches and so on. The width of the lip 1A and the body of the container 1G would vary based upon available widths of spackle or scraping knives blades available in the market. The width of the body 1G is approximately 2 inches less the length of the leading lip 1A. So the left 4C and right 4D sides of the collection lip would only extend 1 inch beyond the container's body 1G wall. The collection lip 1A, 1B, 1 k, 4B, 4C, 4D, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E as well as all handle areas 1C, 1D, 1H and the tubular threaded socket 1E, 6A, the body of the container 1J, 1G and the pour out spout and screw on/off cap be made of the same plastic molding. The thickest and strongest part of the molded plastic would be formed in the lip area closest to the handle 1 k, the handle area 1C, 1D, 1H as well as the extension pole threaded socket connector 1E. The thinnest and most flexible part of the molded plastic would be formed on the top half of the leading lip edge 1A, 5B, 5B and side lip edges 4C, 5C, 4D, 5D of the collection area.

The second version of the Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container will be described with some references to the first version mentioned above using FIG. 1 to 6 and further described with FIG. 7 to 11. All material and dimensional aspects of this version of the invention can be described with the same details of first version of this invention except the material makeup and permanent nature of the scraping knife to be used and the absence of an insertion hole 5A. No scraping knife 2A is inserted by an operator because this form of the Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container provides a permanent fixed molded metal scraping blade FIG. 7 to include a support handle and molded tubular threaded socket extension pole connector. The knife (represented by thinner draw lines) extends 7A to 7C from the collection area, through the back collection wall into the container's plastic molded handle 7B. The width of the scraping knife blade can come in many lengths and could exceed lengths offered in the putty knife market. In other words, a 10, 12, 14, or 16 inch blade could be the scraping device offered with this invention and of course the lip 1A would remain 3 inches wider then the length of the blade or 1⅕ inches wider on each side of blade which allows enough extended lip to catch falling debris when scraping. The advantage of a wider blade 7A would mean the user could scrape off more material from the ceiling in less time or effort. The scraping blade 7A, the shaft or bar of the knife within the plastic handle 7B and the opposite end of the knife to include the tubular threaded socket connector for extension poles 1E is molded with metal. In other words, from one end 7A to the other end 7C of the scraping knife is made up of one solid unit of molded metal. The advantages of the tubular threaded socket being molded as part of the molded knife is that it is set at the same angle as the blade ensuring a correct extension pole angle and the whole apparatus becomes stronger for scraping. The plastic walls of the collection lip 1B, 1K and near where the handle 1D meets the collection wall 1C are molded around the embedded metal knife making the scraping blade a permanent fixture. The only showing metal parts of the whole invention in this case would be the blade 8A, 9A, 10A and tubular threaded socket extension pole connector protruding from the handle 7C, 8B, 9B and 11A. As mentioned above, all other parts of the invention except the scraping knife and extension pole connector are made from newly or recycled molded plastic.

The third version of the Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container will be described with reference to the first and second versions mentioned above using FIG. 1 to 11 and further described with FIG. 13 to 15. All material and dimensional aspects of this version of the invention can be described with same detail of first version of invention except the material makeup and permanent nature of the scraping knife to be used and absence of an insertion hole 5A. In contrast to the blade 7A of version one that is made from metal, the blade of this version of the invention is molded hard plastic and is permanently attached 12C, 13C, 14C to the inside back wall of the back collection lip 5E where the insert hole 5A was located in the first version. The blades' edge 12A, 13A, 14A would be sharp enough to perform scraping and the blade would include a “U” shaped bending support wall on its underside 13B, 14B. This support wall is molded to the bottom of the blade 14D, 15A and both become one unit. The lower corner edges 15B, 15C of the support wall would touch the edges of the opening mouth 4A of the collection container because they are slightly wider. This offers stability and reduces bending of the plastic blade while scraping. The blade would be set at the same angle as the blades mentioned in the first and second versions of this invention. The blade becomes thicker from the scraping edge 14A to the attached end 14C which ensures more needed strength in the blade when scraping. The tubular threaded socket extension pole connector is molded plastic and is molded from the handle, therefore it is like the first version of this invention. An extension pole 12B (represented by thinner drawing lines) can be attached to the connector 12D.

The scraping knife blade edge represented in all embodiments of this invention mentioned above connects to the ceiling 16B at an angle. The scraping angle is guided by the collection lip that the knife extends out from 8A. “Popcorn” covered ceiling material 16A for example, when scraped off using an inserted scraping knife as depicted in FIG. 16 falls down 16C and is funneled into the collection container 16D. When the container becomes full with scraped debris, an operator can then tilt the whole container downward over the opening of a trash receptacle FIG. 17, unscrew off the disposal pour out cap 17B, and then pour collected debris out 17A into a trash receptacle. The advantage of the pour out spout and cap is that the transfer of debris funnels out into the trash receptacle in a way that reduces the mess in the transfer. 

1. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container is a hand-held or pole extended ceiling scrapings collection container used to help guide a ceiling scraper's knife blade angle as to not gauge ceiling when scraping off ceiling textures and act as a temporary storage receptacle that collects, funnels and contains falling debris generated from scraping ceilings, the ceiling scrapings debris collection container comprising: a molded and permanently attached and angled collection lip that extends outward in front and slightly to the sides and top front portion of the collection container; the collection lip wall extends upward and at an angle from a collection hole found on the top front portion of the main body of the container and this lip wall acts to help collect and funnel falling debris into the temporary storage area of the container and by doing so reduces mess resulting from scraping, the collection lip rim appears to wrap around all sides of an inserted or permanently fixed scraping knife blade, and when the invention is in use, the collection lip rim becomes parallel to a ceiling surface and acts as a scraping angle guide, the leading collection wall lip rim is straight and appears to be parallel to the scraping edge of an inserted scraping knife blade, the top side of the container has a handle that extends out from the exterior back collection lip wall and reconnects at the top rear portion of the container, the extension pole connector extends out from the end of the handle and is a tubular inner amce threaded socket for extension pole attachment, the width of the body of the container going from front to back narrows down into a pour out spout with a screw on/off cap.
 2. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the sides and back portions of the collection lip rim when viewed from above it appear to be shaped like the letter “U” or a half circle as it wraps around the top side of the present scraping blade.
 3. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container as claimed in claim 1 wherein, when the scraping knife blade is present the blade is set at roughly a thirty-five to forty degree angle to the collection lip's rim.
 4. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container as claimed in claim 1 wherein, when the scraping knife's blade is present, the collection lip extends out from the scraping edge, corners and sides at a width sufficient enough to collect falling debris while scraping.
 5. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container as claimed in claim 1 wherein, when it is in the form that allows a user to insert his or her own scraping knife, the handle of the scraping knife would be inserted into an oval shaped hole found on the back inside wall of the collection lip and this hole extends as a tube with the container's handle and acts to hold and grip the knife's handle.
 6. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container as claimed in claim 1 wherein, when it is in the form that provides a permanent metal formed scraping knife blade, the blade extends out from the back inside wall of the collection lip at the appropriate angle and forms back into a metal handle that is molded within the center of the plastic molded handle and ultimately molded into a tubular threaded socket for extension pole attachment in which projects outward from the back portion of the plastic molded handle at the same angle as the blade.
 7. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container as claimed in claim 1 wherein, when it is in the form that provides a permanent plastic formed scraping knife blade, the blade extends out from the inside back wall of the collection lip at the appropriate angle and is permanently attached as a molded extension of the collection lip wall and has a molded support wall on the blades bottom side that extends downward and its left and right sides touch the wall of the left and right insides of the collection lip down to the collection hole opening.
 8. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container as claimed in claim 7 wherein the permanent plastic formed scraping knife blades' edge is sharpened upward at an angle and the thickness of the blade increases as it reaches to its molded attachment to the inside back wall of the collection lip wall and the molded support wall is of the same thickness as to where it is molded to the bottom of the blade and is positioned approximately one inch from the blade's edge.
 9. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container as claimed in claim 7 wherein the tubular threaded socket for extension pole attachment extends outward from the back portion of the plastic handle at the same angle as the blade and is also molded of the same plastic as the handle.
 10. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bottom of the collection lip is permanently molded to the opening of the collection container and is of the same thickness as the container opening rim but then thins at the top of the collection lip making it more flexible.
 11. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the front portion of the body of the container is in a rectangle tub shape form under the collection lip and its width is approximately one inch less in width than the width of the collection lip width, and its width narrows down to the disposal cap at the opposite end of the container.
 12. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container as claimed in claim 1 wherein, when the container is sitting on floor and viewed from the left side, the collection lip rim appears to slope downward at approximately forty degrees.
 13. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the collection lip, the body of the container, the exterior of the handle, the scraping blade and extension pole connector as claimed in claim 7 and the debris disposal pour out spout and cap are made of recycled or newly made molded plastic.
 14. A Ceiling Scraper Debris Collection Container as claimed in claim 13 wherein the thickness of the molded recycled or newly made molded plastic is thickest in the handle area where the handle is molded to the wall of the back collection lip, the handle, the tubular threaded socket for extension pole attachment, the area where the handle is molded to the top of the container, the top portion of the container surrounding the handle and the pour out spout area. 